Colourless

Chapter Sixteen

Thank you to @streamsofdreams for making me this beautiful cover. I adore this cover. Thank you so much x

***

The shrill ring of the my alarm woke me up with a rude jolt. "Shut up you evil spawn of Satan," I groan, slamming my hand down onto the snooze button of my alarm. I roll onto my back with a sigh and run my hands down my face, hoping to sleep for just a moment longer.

"Pearl," Ellie calls through the door, pounding her fist against it, "Get up!" I screw my face up in anguish, waiting to shed silent tears as I swing my legs over the side of my bed and grab my key off of my bedside table. I slowly trudge towards the door and as soon as I unlock it I have to spring backwards as the door almost smacks me in the face when it violently swings open.

"Ellie, what's going? It's five thirty in the morning—" I yawn— "Someone couldn't have possibly died already."

"Pearl," Ellie spoke in a hushed tone, "Something's going on."

"Ellie? This is... sudden. What's going on?" I reply inquisitively, following her blindly out the door as she leads me quietly by the hand.

We walk in the near total darkness of the hallways, barely managing to navigate around the walls, when we reach what I presume is our destination before a set of broad oak doors. We can see the light shining the bottom of it, despite the obscenely early hour.

"Ellie, just stop. Tell me what's happening."

She turns to me, a strange look in her widened eyes, and begins to finally explain, "They found a body in the woods. I mean, I only know because the kid who snuck out is my neighbour and she was really freak out when she came back. But, like, they think it had something to do with the government. And... they mentioned us. But, what do we have to do with this?"

"They couldn't possibly think we had a hand in this, could they?" I whisper, her fearful expression undoubtedly mirroring my own.

Ellie looks me in the eyes and then we press our ears against the doors.

"—Maybe they thought clear blood ran in her family," I hear Sam Oliver, the biology teacher, suggest softly.

"It's not just this poor child though. Her body was dumped here overnight — practically right outside our doorstep — means that the government knows where the institute is," Laria hissed and my eyes widen in panic. "We aren't safe here anymore."

"Should we tell the students about everything?" I then hear Malik ask, worry evident in his voice.

"No, that would just frighten them," Laria sighs, "But I must speak to Ellie Patterson, Loral Tucker, Charles Beaumont, Lucille Jenkins, Collin Hamilton and Pearl Damocles immediately." I furrow my brows, before leaning even closer.

"Why do you want to see all of them?" I hear Sam Oliver inquire curiously.

"Haven't you read the note?" Laria asks and then there is a pause and I vaguely hear some shuffling around, "Their names were on a list found in the victims pocket. Their names have been uncovered."

"Holy shit."

***

"What the hell do you mean by uncovered?" Charles whisper yells as I take a large bite out of my French toast, forcing food down my throat to stop myself from screaming.

Ellie sighs, her eyes downcasted, "I mean exactly that; the government know about us, and a few others, and now they know where the institute is."

"So... we're screwed," I summarize glumly, tearing off another bite.

"Don't be so pessimistic," Ellie chastises, though her saddened voice betrayed her, "We'll be... fine. I'm sure they won't let anything happen to us."

"Or, we take matters into our own hands," Charles shrugs, "Collectively, we're all intelligent, logical thinkers. We slip inside the presidential estate, we reason, we succeed."

"Or, worst case scenario, we remove the problem all together," I offer dazedly, half-joking but also partially serious.

"You realize you guys are talking about either infiltrating the city or assassinating the President, right?" Ellie questions as Charles and I share a silent look, before nodding our heads quickly.

"You guys are crazy!" Lucille hisses, collapsing into the spare seat beside me before smirking, "I'm in."

Ellie sighs, "You guys are... completely insane."

"Oh, we are very much aware," Charles smiled toothily and I nod along.

"If I die, I'm blaming you all," Ellie growls, folding her arms over her chest.